PBX or VoIP: 5 questions to ask before you choose

NetFortris Team | May 20, 2016

One of the savvy SpiceHeads over on the Spiceworks community posted recently on a topic that's probably on many people's minds as they consider whether to replace their traditional PBX (Private Branch Exchange) or "on premise" business phone solution. How do you make the PBX vs VoIP decision?

First, let's dispel the misconception that you've only got two options, each offered by totally different business phone providers. Not true!

There's more than one option when it comes to implementing VoIP (aka virtual PBX, cloud PBX, or hosted VoIP). Just like there's more than one type of on-premise business phone solution.

5 questions to consider (and 1 bonus)

Here are five questions to answer as you decide how and where to upgrade your business phone system:

Do you have the speed you need? Fonality offers a free calculator for VoIP bandwidth requirements that just takes a minute or so to complete. Run the numbers here. (Internet service has gotten so cheap relative to traditional POTS lines, low bandwidth is an easy issue to address most places. Especially since you can save oodles on long-distance.)

Do you have QoS for both LAN and WAN? If you have a great router on your LAN that ensures Quality of Service for voice traffic but your ISP doesn’t uphold their end of the bargain on the WAN side, you could still run into jitter and packet loss. (If your ISP is on the naughty list or can’t answer, you can always bring your own telecom with Fonality.)

What are the other network requirements for the new system?A rep or a sales engineer with any provider worth considering should be able to go over this with you in detail. Fonality has a document one of our experts can walk you through.

BONUS QUESTION

What do I get beyond standard calling features?

You should expect a lot more from a modern phone system than a reliable dial tone and check-box features like the ability to transfer calls. With Fonality, you get Heads Up DisplayTM.

Affectionately known as HUD, our award-winning unified communications (UC) software for web and mobile packs a lot of punch for improving business processes.

How do the calling plans compare?Most VoIP phone service providers offer metered service that can tack on some pretty big surprises if you take and make a lot of calls. Fonality’s unlimited calling plan for its Cloud and Private Cloud deployments included free calls within the U.S. and nine other countries and territories. No more long distance. No more surprise telecom taxes and fees.

If you find the solution doesn’t meet your needs over time, what other options are available without replacing your whole system?Fonality offers multiple deployment options customers can move between if needed. You don’t have to go to two different types of providers to find the right solution. You can choose one of our unlimited calling plans and move up to Private Cloud if you want to connect to a point-to-point network. Or go Hybrid with an onsite appliance and all the phones you need – plus cloud UC and admin – for one monthly price.

Of course, no major business decision is as easy as five quick questions. The goal of this post is to dispel some myths and put you on the path to making the best decision for your business.

One of our experts would love to discuss your needs and develop a custom solution just for you. Start a chat during business hours Monday - Friday down in the lower right. Or...

About the author: NetFortris provides flexible, scalable, cloud-based voice and data communications customized with the exact security and compliance your business needs. Multi-level protection, cloud-based backup and bi-directional failover ensure business continuity while big data analytics with real-time service control improves your operational performance. NetFortris also serves its customers with carrier-grade networks, business and communications applications, and expert service. Our solution engineers work with you to design a fully managed and automated system tailored for your business.